A play of snake and mouse
by katkah
Summary: A new student comes into Hogwards... and hes a BASILISK? a bit of romance
1. Prologue

He could barely stand on his feet, still unused to the sudden change.

All the time hissing, he moved; the whole room spun with him, he saw all the colors possible which made his eyes hurt. He winked, thinking he might as well be dead, seeing all the blood, though older, and sensing it in the air.

Where was the calm coldness of the lair, which used to be there?

Clear water. Where was all of it?

...And what was it with _him_?

He twitched and looked around him desperately, hissing again uncontrollably.

Then he realized the... different feeling.

,,Free..." he got out, surprised of his own voice which he didn´t hear in a while. ,, ...Am I free?

He´ss dead?"

He opened eyes more widely, finally seeing all of the room – stones, water and statues. His home.

All of a sudden – with loudness that frightened himself – he bursted into laughter, not even sure, what at.

He got up, his knees still a bit shaky but finally obeying him, and straightened. Sight still blurry at times, but sharp enough to make out the snake figures of stone around him; ones that looked like his parents.

It was time to move and use head for something other than hunting and parseltongue.

Scheming.


	2. On the way

He had a hat on his eyes, legs up on the seat and was half-bored half-excited – a combination he would never thought possible. But then… among people.

The train wasn't moving yet and nobody was near except for him – he looked for a quiet place where nobody would disturb.

Checking the time he sat more comfortably, not far from lying down entirely. It was almost eleven, so all the students had to be in... maybe too few first-graders?

There was smoke already, the train was ready to leave. The few late-comers quickly we're either saying heart-breaking first goodbyes to their parents, listening to their advice or (as far as he saw) jumping into the train with their friends. There wasn't anyone he knew.

,,_Thank God_ ," he murmured in a hissing sound, looking out of the window.

He still toyed around with that language, which sounded terribly unnatural to him. It was too static, too short-cut, he still didn't get everything in it right and sometimes made the ,S´ sound long.

,,...Ssometimess... damn it."

Correction; he ALWAYSS made it sound long.

A epic failure in learning foreign languages.

Feeling the train starting to move slowly, he exhaled in relief and lied down, stretching.

He didn´t want company yet, at least not until speaking with the headmistress and making sure he´d be safe. Which would be a whole day of traveling.

Just then he caught sounds of some kind of argument – a boy laughing his ass off and a girl shouting on him, seeming embarrassed. He rolled eyes, looking out of the window to at least ignore it.

There was a loud ,,IDIOT!" and then quick, heavy steps.

He lifted head just when the door on the compartment snapped open so loudly he almost fell off the chair.

A girl stand there; she looked around 14 -15, with long and ruffled hair of bright light color in between blonde and red and VERY angry silvery-blue eyes. She held her handbag so tightly her hand turned white.

After a second she softened, blushing at her bursting in.

,,I-I´m sorry, I... didn´t knew someone was here. Can I sit?"

Without waiting for an answer she sat, putting the bag beside her.

He only stared.

,,...yess."

She seemed a bit relieved, sitting in silence.

,,I´m sorry again for going in like this."

,,Well, I wass alone here, I could ex-s-pect ssomeone to come ssooner or later."

,,Ah. I thought you´re waiting for someone."

,,No," he looked out of the window. ,,nobody..." Who _would_ he wait here for, anyway?

,,Oh. By the way, how come I haven´t seen you before? You´re not a first grader."

,,Ah, no. I´ll be jusst sstudying there for a while, I´m from Beauxbatonss. A sspecial occasssion." Lies falling out as easily as water.

,,Well, I guess the headmistress will say it at the dinner," the girl said cheerfully. ,,oh, by the way –

I´m Victoire Weasley-Delacour."

She raised out a hand.

,,Arssenioss Viper." _**Weasley**__ ? I heard that before_ .

He shook it as shortly as he could, sitting again.

,,So a French, yes? My mom went there too. She told me a lot. Is it really so strict?"

,,For that I´d need comparisson with Hogwardss, Victoire."

She laughed; it sounded nice, although he was unused to such things.

,,A smart remark, really! It´s a pleasure to meet at least _someone_ that is," she glared outside, scorning. ,,by the way, you can call me Vicky."

,,I´m Aro then, if it´ss eassier for you."

,,Aro. Sounds nice!"

_When did we become friends?_

,,By the way, you have a really remarkable accent. Not French much, but I can´t quite put my finger on it."

,,Don´t try," his mouth curled up a bit. ,,that´ss family acc-sent. By the way, I heard your name before. Weassley... who´ss your father?"

,,Not the Weasley you probably think," she blushed. ,,I´m only his niece, if you thought Ronald Weasley."

,,Yess. The famouss Harry Potter´ss friend."

,,He is partly my family too, another uncle."

He raised a eyebrow, interested.

,,Famouss blood!" he grinned. ,,What a pleassure to meet you, then." _Or it __will__ be_ .

She blushed again.

,,Well... uhm... thanks."

She crossed legs and stared out of the window. Aro stuck out tongue slightly.

,,If you´re uncomfortable, you don´t have to ssit here."

,,What? Oh, no! It´s fine, really," she twitched.

,,Mhm. If you don´t mind me assking, who did you argue with? I couldn´t missheard it."

,,Oh, that. My cousin James. He was being a jerk."

,,Vickyy!" Both lifted up heads when a smaller, red headed girl came in. ,,There´s place with us, if you want to go sit."

,,Thanks!" Victoire smiled happily, grabbing her bag. ,,I´ll go then. It was nice to meet you, Aro!" she waved, closing the door after her.

_This is going to be interesting_ , he thought, his tongue slipping out with a hiss.

…...

Hogwards were more familiar to him than any other place. Seeing the forests around, testrals, the lake – and smelling everything he lived with for so long – made a smile on his face.

,,Do you like it here?"

That was Victoire again, followed by the smaller girl that came for her earlier. That had eyes big like saucers, looking around.

,,Yess, more than any plac-_ s_ -e I´ve been to before." Sincere remark.

,,Me too!" the smaller one nodded with mouth open. Victoire laughed, tapping her back.

,,Look out, Rose, or something will fly into your mouth!"

Rose closed it, staring now at Aro.

,,Who´s this?" she ashed shyly and a bit fearfully.

,,Oh? That´s Aro. I met him in the train. He´s here on a study from Beauxbatons, or so he says."

That smaller one looked very familiar, but he couldn´t quite figure out, where he knew her from. Red, curly hair – big brown eyes – a bit curious look...

,, ...aren´t you Weassley ass well?"

Rose winked in surprise, Victoire laughed.

,,You knew by the red head, eh? Yes, this is my little cousin, Rose. First grader."

,,What grade are y-´´ Rose started, but didn´t have enough time.

,,FIRST GRADERS, TO ME! COME ´EEEERE!"

Aro jumped at that. He knew the voice of the keeper, but still was always frightened to hear it. Probably instinct.

All of the smallest ones jumped and fearfully ran over to him.

,,That´s Hagrid, one of the teachers," Victoire grinned. ,,he seem a bit out, but I assure you he´s harmless."

,,Yeah, I-I know. Our headmisstress iss like that too, sshe doessn´t have ssuch a voic-_ s_ -e though."

,,You hiss like a snake," Rose stated innocently.

He felt color leaving his face, realizing he spoke too much sounding like his natural self.

,,...Do I?" he laughed nervously.

,,Rose, GO THERE!" Victoire scolded her cousin playfully, smacking her across the back. She squeaked, grabbed her things and sprinted to the lake.

,,Funny girl," Aro stated.

,,And very plainspoken. Sorry for that. By the way, are you traveling with us?"

,, ,US' who?"

,,Me, Lorcan Scamander, James Potter."

_Potter_. My, my, my.

At that name all his predatory instincts lifted their small heads and hissed and happily moved.

,,Otherwise there's nobody in the group… except for Tobby, but he's out of Hogwards already."

She blushed at the name. He lifted a eyebrow, smirking a bit.

_Sounds like they're close…_

,,Well, it won't hurt me. And you're the only persson I know sso far, sso be it."

One of the carriages was still half-empty, inside sitting two boys. One listening, looking half-asleep, dreamy. He had pale hair, shaggy around the head and like feathers. The other one explained something to him – loudly – and laughed at it. An eccentric black haired teenager, and very cocky. When he turned and saw them, he shouted so probably everyone heard him-

,,Vickyyyy! Come heere! …And who's this?"

Victoire started to explain right when the carriages moved.

,,I met him in the train, it's Aro…ehh.. Arsenios Viper. From Beauxbatons."

,,Oh really! Vicky, and here I thought you're a good girl. And you bring a obvious pureblood from France!"

,,_Shut up_, _James_!"

James received a pucnh to the waist Aro would be proud of, knowing Victoire longer.

,,Just _kidding_, for Merlin's sake!"

,,Well, sshot to the black with that pureblood sstatement. You're ssmarter than you look."

,,You bet!" James grinned and leaned back.

,,I'm Lorcan," the other one nodded politely, not raising out a hand, which was Aro thankful for.

Victoire smiled, a bit ashamed.

,,This one is my weirdest friend, but he's generally more nice than _this_ thing!" she pointed at James.

,,Ouch."

Lorcan laughed when James made a grin.

,,You've been mean." Victoire crossed arms and glared on him.

This time it was Aro that laughed.

,,Don't laugh much, frenchboy! I still don't know much about YOU. What are you doing here anyway?" Potter pointed on him.

,,Ssent by sschool to sstudy ssocial life and differencess," Aro shrugged it off.

,,Oh my. Why don't I know anything about it?" Lorcan winked.

,,The headmisstress wanted to keep it a ssecret," he said half-loudly.

_Probably becase she doesn't know yet_…


End file.
